When the term mouth guards come to mind, the first reaction is football, basketball, hockey, or mixed martial arts. Mouth guards are necessary for contact sports like the ones listed because competitors are competing two at a time. In fact, mouth guards are required for boxing, wrestling, volleyball, softball, and water polo too. However, are mouth guards only for contact sports?
A cosmetic dentist in scottsdale would recommend sports mouth guards for all recreational activities regardless of physicality. Ball and person-to-person accidents aren’t the only methods of dental injury. Accidental falls and slips to the ground, slamming your face on the wall/equipment, or teeth stuck on the rope/cage/net occur often. Therefore, expect mouth guards in non-contact sports like gymnastics, figure skating, skateboarding, snowboarding, cycling, BMX, equestrian, and track and field. Include unlikely combat sports like tennis and racquetball to the mouth guard list due to possible ball and racquet injuries.
Don’t limit mouth guards to sports participants. Referees should get mouth guards too due to the abuse they often receive from players, coaches, and fans such as a punch to the face or shoved to the ground. Swimmers who swim for sport require mouth guards to protect their teeth from Swimmers Calculus. People who ride motorcycles, bicycles, dirt bikes, scooters, and ATV’s for leisure should wear mouth guards. Vehicle collisions on the highway or dirt road are highly likely. People who roller skate and/or rollerblade should wear mouth guards in case of slips, trips, and falls on the face. Examples include vehicle collisions during a street crossing and tripping over a rock.
Due to heated reactions about losing or cheating, possible facial and dental injuries can originate from fights before and after the contest. Similarly, victory celebrations can cause facial and dental injuries too due to the overjoyed reaction of winning. In rare occasions, equipment can malfunction or break, injuring participants without warning.
As you’ve read, a high risk of injury happens in all sports and recreational activities, yet a mouth guard revolves around combat sports. To protect your teeth and face, never take a chance on using a mouth guard for selected sports. Use it for everything recreational. Additionally, a store-bought mouth guard won’t protect the teeth in the same manner as a customized mouth guard because it’s a one-size-fits-all, and no two teeth are the same. Come to our office and let our superb professionals select a mouth guard choice to fit your dental structure for a flawless finish.
